RE: Management of patients containing diagnostic amounts of

["Dunn, Wes" <WDunn@intiso.com>]

Ron,

The key hangs on the regulation for release of patients [See 10 CFR 35,
which I don't have on hand, for information].  Once the patient is
released, they can walk out the door, get hit by a car, and brought
directly back into the ER.  The radioactive material inside is not
regulated.   So how is that different than being taken directly into
surgery?  It is important to note that each regulatory agency may
interpret the actual point of release differently.

That said, hospital staff will probably appreciate it if you keep them
informed and take reasonable precautions for minimizing their exposure,
particularly if the surgeon is operating on the imaged organ with a fair
amount of activity remaining.  As Carol Marcus will gladly point out,
the dose is still pretty low, and is totally inconsequential for anyone
else nearby.  But that may require some training for staff acceptance.

Wes

Wesley M. Dunn, CHP, Director, Environmental Health & Safety
International Isotopes, Inc.
3100 Jim Christal Road
Denton, Texas  76207
Wdunn@intiso.com <mailto:Wdunn@intiso.com>
Corporate Website:  http://www.intiso.com
940-484-9492; 940-484-0877 (fax)


	-----Original Message-----
	From:	Ronald Frick [SMTP:RFRICK@gammacorp.com]
	Sent:	Tuesday, September 01, 1998 3:02 PM
	To:	Multiple recipients of list
	Subject:	Management of patients containing diagnostic
amounts of

	I am looking for feedback on what controls other hospitals
implement when performing surgery on patients who have received
diagnostic amounts of radiopharmaceuticals.  The guidance I have come
across only addresses therapeutic cases.  Are specimens (tumors) removed
from patients containing radioactive material stored for decay?
According to NRC, the only radioctive material that is exempt from
control is patient excreta released to the sewer.  They have advised me
that these samples must be stored for decay.    Is this the policy at
other facilities?  Are surveys peferformed in the OR afterwards to check
for contamination?  Or, are biohazard contamination precautions
considered to be adequate for the control of any radioactive
contamination?  What is the regulatory justification for not
implementing controls?
	
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